The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection to former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. The protection from arrest has been granted by the apex court till August 26.

On Thursday, a special CBI court had sent Chidambaram to CBI custody till August 26.

The ED is conducting investigation into alleged money laundering in the INX Media Case.

However, Chidambaram will continue to be in the CBI custody as Supreme court, did not intervene in the CBI case in which he has been sent in the custodial interrogation of the agency till August 26.

An apex court bench comprising Justices R. Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna said that it will hear Chidambaram’s plea against the CBI remand on August 26.

Both CBI and Enforcement Directorate matters to be heard again on Monday August 26 in Supreme Court. Chidambaram is in CBI custody till August 26. https://t.co/vVIwpsDPZc

Senior Congress leaders and renowned lawyers Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal took up the arguments on behalf of Chidambaram in a packed courtroom. The Court first heard the petition against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Taking a swipe at the government, Sibal said the “economy is in ICU” and the Modi dispensation has issued a lookout notice” for all those defending civil liberties.

Chidambaram, who was arrested by the CBI on Wednesday, had approached the Delhi High Court on August 20 seeking protection from arrest in the high-profile case. His petition, however, was rejected.

After a dramatic turn of events, the 73-year-old former Union Minister was arrested on Wednesday night from his upscale residence in Jor Bagh area of the capital. A Delhi court on Thursday allowed CBI a four-day custody of Chidambaram.

Both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have registered separate cases linked to the INX Media case against Chidambaram who served as Union Home and Finance Minister in the UPA government from 2004 to 2014.

The former Union Minister is under the scanner for his role in the conspiracy for a downstream investment by INX Media (P) Ltd in M/s INX News (P) Ltd. without the approval of the FIPB.